Homebrew Store?

Sounds like an awesome concept, good luck !

 

I doubt there are many LHBS owners on this forum, but from a customer perspective, I would say you need to give customers a reason to drive to your store rather than ordering online. It will be hard to compete on price, so you'll likely need something else. Truly knowledgeable staff would be a good thing, and a lack thereof is what keeps many of us away from many stores. Cigars and local craft brews sound like a great idea too. Supporting a local homebrew club (use of facilities, discounts) can also go a long way toward cultivating customer relationships IMO.

 

For what its worth Golden Promise is a lot closer to Maris Otter than North American Two-Row. If he was saying a direct substitute then he is off but if he was trying to get you closer to MO then he may have been on the right track.

That aside, I like your idea, just gotta check your local laws (in NJ everything seems to be over the top for on premise alcohol consumption, TX is likely different) and realize that to be profitable running multiple businesses out of the same space youll need to do a lot of research. Youll need staff with all different knowledge and be open hours that may be a bit unorthodox for the other half of the store. Ex: A bar will generally do better during night hours on the weekend while a homebrew store would likely do better in the morning/early afternoon. Seems like long days to me.

Now, if there is a way that you can brew your own beer on premises and sell that, it may be a bit better as it would keep the focus on your homebrewshop moreso than being a bar with brewing ingredients attached. Would probably need to look into local laws regarding nano or micro breweries for that though.

Im sure you could find some way to work it all out, it just seems like there may be some logistical issues to me.

 

One homebrew store I know of that makes themselves a destination is http://bitterandesters.com/ in Brooklyn. They give classes, allow you to brew on premises (big plus for locals with tiny apartments), have a decent selection, and really support the local brewing community. It might be worth looking over their site.

 

You could reach out to the folks at The Brew Hut in Aurora, CO. They run alongside Dry Dock Brewing (a very successful microbrewery with taproom) connected to the space right next door. You go there to buy stuff to make beer, then end up staying to drink the delicious beer already made. Seems to work.

 

Sometimes I prefer a beer made with Golden Promise over Maris Otter. They may have not been far off the mark depending on the beer you wanted to brew. There some MO malts I will pass on, others I want to buy. Can you go to that detail?

 

I know that Great Fermentations here in Indy can actually beat some of the prices I've seen online. Go big or go home is how they do it. They make money off their grains, crushing fees, and they buy in BULK. I'd email some of the guys at Midwest, Northern, and Austin Homebrew to see if they're willing to share some tips for success.

They also have a kegerator and beers that they've brewed recently. It's an excuse to mingle/socialize/drink to my heart's content. Aw, shit. That's how they get me to spend so much money there. They get me drunk first and then take advantage of me.

 

I wish you all the best! Personally, I only go to my local homebrew store for ingredients as most equipment is anywhere from 20-80% more than websites like MoreBeer or Northern Brewer. As others have said, this is where your staff comes in. If your staff is clueless about the product then expect customers to go online, research, and most likely buy at a cheaper price than you are offering. It's unlikely that you can match big online retailers anymore than a local grocery store can match Walmart. If you have a knowledgable staff that knows how to brew, what malt,yeast,hops go with certain styles, etc. then that is a big plus. Also, I would add wine making ingredients/supplies as well.

 

I might also add that, like any business, location is key. Pick a good one. I'm from Houston and for years, the only place to buy brewing supplies was DeFalco's. But they were down in Rice Village in that tiny little shop, with no place to park, and a ton of people everywhere. I'd get down there in my F-250 and have to thread that beast through the maze of cars parked on both sides of the street, then park in somebody else's lot and walk over to the brew shop. I hated going there, but I needed supplies. Now, I find it much easier because they have the big place on Stella Link. But of course, I'm living overseas these days so I don't drive the big truck any more, and I don't get to DeFalco's very often. But the point is, competition is a good thing, & every town should have more than one LHBS.

If you go through with this plan, I wish you the best of luck.

 

St. Pats was the first around Austin. You could do some online searches about them.

It is the suppliers policy, not the stores.

 

I know I will be in the minority but I prefer mail order for 99.9% of my homebrewing equipment, ingredients, etc. Not only for pricing, but convenience.

The only time I visit my nearest LHBS - which isn't that close - is when I need something right away.
The OP's "bar with several local flavors" idea might entice me though...

 

I'm surprised that most people find ordering ingredients online is cheaper than the LHBS. Are you talking about buying in bulk or for individual recipes? my LHBS must be better than most. And possibly closer.

 

I agree. And @pointyskull it's more convenient to order online? I dunno, I really hate having to wait for something to be shipped in the mail (not to mention the possibility of your order getting screwed up or lost in the mail). But I guess it all depends on how close the store is to you. Even when I didn't have a home brew store around the block from me, I'd much prefer to drive to the nearest spot (about 20 min away). But if it's, say, an hour or more drive, I get it.

I would say the one exception to preferring to buy in person vs online would be equipment. I haven't seen a home brew store that can even come close to the low prices of buying equipment online. But even then, sometimes I'd prefer to pay a little extra to get it now than to have to wait for it (within reason). Although, one time for a keg regulator, I took in an order sheet from an online keg supplier to my LHBS, and they matched the price on the spot. That was cool.

 

Heck yeah online is more convenient - late at night, at lunch, etc.
I get my stuff generally with a week - and I haven't had any orders screwed up. Just my preference....

 

My LHBS is just as good on grain/yeast/hops/ingredients than the online stores. Sometimes better.

But they offer great fresh stuff, and great mills. Monster M3 mills for you to self grind, and self help yourself to the grains.

Knowledge and the whole" shoot the breeze" aspect is what is appealing to a local store. Support the clubs. Allow them to brew there, meet there, do "Brew and BBQ" days where the public can come and see people brew and eat some good stuff.

If you can sell beer, have some on taps, with a small bottle selection is nice. You'll get people in for beer, maybe get them to brew.

Maybe even have some "clone" recipes to match something you have on tap from time to time would be fun. I know my store has several books of AG and extract recipes that they've created that are really good that people go after all the time to put together how they choose.

Better yet, if you can brew a beer from your recipe book that might be popular to sell, brew it and have it on tap for people to try before they buy the recipe. If it's good people will buy it, and try to replicate what they tasted and feel better for the recipe knowing what it "could" taste like if they do it right.

 

Yes! Forgot about this with one of the stores I go to. Often times after work on a Friday, my brewing partner and I will pick up a 6-pack before we go to the LHBS. After we get all our ingredients and pay, we'll sit and shoot the shit and drink beer with the employees for an hour and hang out. They also have beers they brew at the store on tap in their office kegerator and have even shared pizza they've had delivered in. Guys time, I guess. It's customer service you can't put a price tag on or find on-line.